1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a coin slide assembly and, more particularly, to a novel combination of a coin controlled slide and a frangible coin simulating element. The presence of the element in the assembly is operative to allow movement of the coin slide toward an operative position. The element is fractured during movement of the coin slide to render the element non-reusable. The assembly is also responsive to the presence of a non-fracturable element during movement of the coin slide to jam the assembly and prevent the continued movement of said coin slide toward its operative position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin controlled or operated mechanisms are usually installed on commercial appliances; such as, clothes washers, dryers, vending machines and the like. The coin control mechanism is enclosed within a housing mounted on the appliance or machine, and the housing is usually provided with a locked coin drawer assembly which is intended to prevent unauthorized access to a coin receptacle or box removably supported within the housing. The mechanism comprises a guide track mounted on the housing, and a coin slide reciprocally supported in the guide track for projected and retracted movement. The coin slide has one or more coin receiving portions whereby insertion of the proper sum of coins therein permits projected movement of the coin slide within the housing to operate the appliance. In this regard, the inner end of the coin slide includes an actuator adapted to engage with a switch mechanism upon projected movement of the coin slide to its operate position, whereby movement of said switch is operable to connect the appliance in circuit with a source of energy for initiating the operating cycle of the appliance.
The coin operated mechanisms described above are disposed for public use and are for the most part left unattended. Therefore, by the very nature of their use, such coin operated mechanisms are vulnerable to acts of vandalism and burglary. Heretofore, experience has shown that unauthorized access to the coin box of such coin operated mechanisms was had by forcing or destroying the lock on the coin box drawer, either by drilling or hammering. Because the lock on such mechanisms is generally exposed, a would-be thief has easy access thereto and therefore can readily apply the tools of his trade to force the lock. With the lock thus incapacitated, the thief then has easy access to the coin box of such mechanism. Consequently, thousands of dollars each year are lost as the result of acts of vandalism and burglary.
Even if the attempted theft fails, the face of the exposed lock is generally damaged beyond repair so that the lock is rendered totally inoperative. In such event, the lock must be removed and replaced, thereby increasing substantially the cost of maintenance and/or repair of the mechanism.
Heretofore, it has been known that such unauthorized and unlawful acts of vandalism can be substantially eliminated if the contents within the coin box were rendered valueless. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,882, there is disclosed a destructible token for use in a parking meter system, wherein the token is fractured to render it non-reusable and the fractured pieces are then dissolved in a chemical solution. There is further disclosed in applicant's abandoned U.S. application, Ser. No. 860,956, filed Sept. 25, 1969, a combination coin operated mechanism and a non-reusable frangible coin-simulating element that is operative to activate the mechanism. The mechanism in that application is of the type having a coin slide which is adapted to receive the frangible element, and wherein the presence of said element in the mechanism is operative to allow projected movement of the coin slide to an operative position. The element is fractured during movement of the coin slide to render the element non-reusable.
Although the respective mechanisms disclosed in the aforesaid patent and abandoned application perform their intended functions, they nonetheless still afford the would-be thief an opportunity to circumvent the intended operation of said mechanisms. For example, in the mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,882, the meter can be rendered operable even if a non-fracturable spurious token is inserted into the mechanism. Similarly, in the coin slide mechanism of the abandoned application Ser. No. 860,956, the coin slide can be moved to its operative position even where a spurious non-fracturable token is inserted into the mechanism provided the token is capable of being sufficiently flexed by the camming member so as to pass through an opening in the assembly to the coin box. Thus, the respective mechanisms disclosed above can be made to operate even if the respective tokens were non-fracturable. In some instances, the would-be thief has also been able to activate the mechanism by taping together a previously fractured element and reusing the same. The present invention is directed toward an improvement over the mechanism previously disclosed in the aforesaid abandoned application, wherein the improvement serves to prevent the coin slide from being moved to its operative position in those instances where the spurious token is non-fracturable.